William c



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. o. WATSON.

GAR COUPLING.

N. PETERS, Pharo-mhugnpher. wawhmgwn, D C.

2 Sheets- Sheet 2"..

(No Model.)v

W. o. WATSON.

GAR GDUPLING'.

Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

TILLIAM C. TATSOR OF IATERSON, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THEODORE Y. KINNE, OF SAME PLACE.

CAReCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,674, dated February 12, 1889.

Application filed September 13, 1888. Serial No. 285,293. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, IILLIAM O. IVATSON, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oarlouplings, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe a car-coupling in detail, embodying myimprovement, and then point out ro the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of portions of cars and a coupling embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of the coupling. Fig.

I5 3 is a similar view showing two ears in dotted outline and the position of the coupling due to the movement of the cars. Fig. at is a bottom plan of one member of the coupling. Fig. 5 is an end view of a car, showing one zo member of a coupling embodying my improvement. Fig. t3 is a similar view showing the parts in different position E rom that shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is still another similar view showing the parts in a third position.

2 5 Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the draw-heads. These drawheads are of frame-like construction, and are hollow. They are capable of movement in 3o the direct-ion ot the length of the car, and are guided in such movement by means of guides a. upon the bottom ot the car. Ihave shown their rear ends as provided with turn-buckles. These turn-buckles bear near their rear ends 3 5 coiled springs, which bear against a portion ot the turn-buckles and also against a guide, a,seeured upon the bottom of the car, and through which the rear portions of the turnbuckles are adapted to slide. These springs 4o otter resistance to the backward movement of the draw-heads.

B designates the coupling-hooks. These coupling-hooks are wholly contained within the draw-heads. They are pivoted near their rear ends upon pivots l), which pivots are mounted in the draw-heads. Springs C, connected near one of their ends to the rear portions of the coupling-hooks and bearing near their other ends against the inner side of the 5o draw-heads, tend to force the coupling-hooks into such position that they will engage upon two adjacent ears, or into such position that their engagement will be impossible.

In my coupling it is impossible for the coupling-hooks to abut end to end, and the hooks also occupy three different positions. In the iirst of such positions they maybe readily coupled. In the second of such positions they will, when two cars are brought together, pass by each other upon one side without 6o coupling, and in the third of such positions they will, upon the coming otl two cars together, pass eachother upon their rear sides without coupling. Then two cars have been coupled together, they cannot be uncoupled except the member of the coupling upon each of the ears be operated.

In the position of the coupling illustrated in Fig. 5, it two cars be brought together, a coupling will be effected such as is more 7o clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the tendency of the spring C being to maintain the members in such coupling position. Then thus coupled, as will be more clearly seen by reference to Fig. 3, a very wide range of lateral movement may be permitted to the cars without in any way affecting` the coupling or endangering its detachment.

Then it is desired to uncouple the cars, the coupling-hooks are rocked out of engagement 8o against the resistance of the springs C. They may be rocked so tar against the resistance ot the springs that it the two cars were again brought together the faces of the hooks would pass by each other without engaging the hooks. I have illustrated this position more clearly in Fig. '7. The movement ot the hooks in such direction is effected by means of a lever, D, here shown as cross-shaped, or provided with four arms. Thislever is fulcrumed 9o upon the end of the car. One oit its arms eX- tends upwardly above the car, so that the le ver can be rocked from above, and its other two arms extend laterally to the sides of the car, so that the lever may be rocked vfrom 95. either side. The other or downwardly-extending arm of the lever is pivotally connected. to a slider-bar, D', working in bearings d upon the ends of the car. This slider-bar is provided with the downwardly-extending arm roo a coast/4 D2, which arm extends near its lower end through a suitably-for1ned aperture in an outward]yextending portion of a pull ilod or plate, D3. This pull-rod worls through bearings in the sides of the draueheads. lVhen the lever D is shifted into either of the positions illustrated in Figs. 5, and 7, the sliderbar D', through. the medium of the arm D2, causes a longitudinal movement of the pullrod D, whereby the coupling-hook is shifted to one side or the other.

In order to maintain the coupling-hooks in their three several positions,l employ a locking' device, E. This locking device, in the present example of my improvement, consists of a rocking arm pivoted about midway in its length to the end of the car. This arm is provided on its under side with teeth c c. The upper side of the slider-bar D near the end thereof which is adjacent to the end of the rocking arm bearing the tooth e', is provided with a tooth, et. The other end of the slider-bar D', or that portion which is adjacent to the end of the rocking arm bearing the teeth e, is provided with a tooth, The rocking arm E, as shown, is provided near its extremities with projections or handles c4 c5. Then these handles are grasped,- the arm may be rocked in either direction and from either side of the car. Assuming that the projection or handle be grasped' and the arm be rocked downwardly at that end, the tooth c will be brought into engagement with the tooth e2, the spring (l operating to throw the slider-bar into a position where such an engagement will be effected. The parts will then occupy the position illustrated more clearly in Fig. 5, or, in other words, will be in coupling position. lf the projection or handle c5 be grasped and that end of the arm E be moved upwardly, so as to cause a disengagement of the teeth c c2, the slider-bar will be moved along, by the action of the spring' C, into the position shown in Fig. (i. lf this operation. shall have been performed upon bot-h cars, it will be clearly seen that should the two earscome together the backs of the coupling-hooks will pass by each other without eifeeting an engagement of the hooks. ln order to restore the couplinghooks from the position last named to a coupling' position, or to bring' them into such a position that the faces of the hooks will pass by each other should two cars'be brought together, it is necessary to shift the couplinghooks against the resistance of the springI C by means of the lever D. This, as has been previously stated, may be effected either by operating the lever D from above or from the sides of the ear. l'f the lever be grasped and moved, it will occupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 5. The rocking arm` E may of course be moved into such position as to again engage the teeth e c2 and to maintain the coupling-hooks in a locking position. It' a still more extended movement of the lever D be effected and the hook be moved into the position shown more clearlyin Fig. `7, the teeth c c will become engaged and the @ruling-hooks will be maintained in such position that their faces 'will pass bycach other without effectin au engagement. The

engagement of the teeth c e* may bc effected byY means of a weight, c, upon the adjacent end of the arm E, which will cause the rockingof said arm in such direction as to callse the engagement of said teeth.

Y lt will be seen from the foregoing that the springs C tend to throw the coupling-hooks into two of their positions, and that in the other of their positions they are maintained against the resistance of the springs C by the rocking arm E. lt will also be seen that into any of the positions into which the couplingA hooks may be adjusted such adjustment may be effected either from the sides or the top of the ear, and therefore it is unnecessary for a brakeman to pass in between t-he cars to either couple or uncouple them. It is to be observed, also, that when the coupling-hooks occupy the position shown in Fig. -or, in other words, are in their coupling position and the two cars are brought together the deflection of the coupling-hooks necessary to cause their engagement will cause such a :movement of the slider-bar D as will release the teeth c c2. The slider-bar, and consequently the coupling-hool s, will then of course be permitted to move freely in either direction and to assume a position analogous to that shown in Fig. 3, being always maintained iirmly coupled by means of the springs C.

That l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a coupling-hook within the draw-head, a spring for moving the couplinghook in one direction, a slider-bar, a pullrod, a connection between the slider-bar and the pull-rod, and a lever for m oving the slid er-bar, substantially as specified.

2. ln a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a coupling-hook within the draw-head, a spring for moving the couplinghook in one direction, a slider-bar, a pull-rod, a connection between the slider-bar and the pull-rod, a lever for operating the slider-bar, and a stop for maintaining' the slider-bar in a position into which it may be adjusted, substantially as specified.

ln a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a coupling-hook within the d raw-head, a spring for moving' the coupling'- hook in onc direction, a slider-bar, a pull-rod, a connection between the slider-bar and the pull-rod, a lever for operating the sliderdoar, and a stop having portions extending to opposite sides of the car and adapted to engage eitherof the end portions of the slider-bar to maintain the latter in a position into which it may be adjusted, substantially as specified,

TOO

IIO

Jn. In 2L ear-Coupling, the eolnbnat-on, with to opposite sides of the can? and a projection :L draw-head, of L Coupling-hook Within the extel'ldng above the om', Substantially as mmv-head, a spring for moving the eouplng- Specified.

hook in one direction, a s1de1ba1', :L pull-rod, W'ILLTAM C. AWATSON. 5 .fn Connection between the pull-rod and the VtnesSeS:

s] Mer-bm?, and :L lever for operating the slider- FREDK. HAYNES,

bm', said level having' projections extending ARTHUR H. GAMBL'LN. 

